Tesler goes on trial in Paris

Here’s a note from a correspondent in France:

Dear FCPA Blog,

You probably have already noticed through ethiXbase that today [November 19] begins the French trial of Jeffrey Tesler.

Tesler’s lawyers will ask to postpone the trial because he is currently in jail in the United States and would like to be at the hearing.

According to his lawyers, there was no corruption: Tesler kept 80 percent of the money (seized by the DOJ) and the remaining 20 percent went to costs incurred to perform the underlying TSKJ Nigeria contracts.

Best regards,

French-fcpablog-addict

The story cited in the members area of the FCPA Blog (ethiXbase) is reported in the French press here.

It said French prosecutors have alleged that Tesler, an agent for KBR and its TSKJ consortium, would have transferred some or all of the money found in his bank accounts to corrupt Nigeria politicians.

Tesler reported to prison in the U.S. in April this year to serve his twenty-one month sentence.

He was assigned to the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Tesler had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the FCPA.

As part of his U.S. plea deal, Tesler agreed to forfeit $149 million held in various offshore bank accounts he controlled.